Pediatrician Debunks Dry Drowning ‘Myth,’ Says It’s Not Real

iStock; @Beachgem10/TikTok

Every day it seems like there’s a new enemy when it comes to keeping our children safe and protected. And in the summertime, one of the biggest threats to child safety is drowning. While water safety should be taken seriously, there is a level of fear-mongering on social media that has parents operating in worry and paranoia.

One particular term that has been stressing parents out for several years is dry drowning, or secondary drowning. But some medical experts say that while you might have seen the phrase online, it’s not an actual thing.

A pediatric doctor said dry drowning is a myth.

We know that you’ve heard the term all over the place from Facebook to Twitter and Instagram. But many of these posts are not based on medical facts. Thankfully, a pediatric ER doctor came to TikTok with a video exposing the truth about dry drowning. Basically, she says the whole concept is a myth.

Wet vs. dry drowning is irrelevant.

@beachgem10 Dry drowning is a myth, but drowning is very real, and preventable! @Beachgem10 #drydrowning #pool #watersafety #kids #parents #emergency ♬ original sound - Beachgem10

In case you haven’t heard of the term, dry drowning is not an accepted medical condition. But it's used to describe victims whose bodies contained no water in the lungs at the time of autopsy, according to KidNurse. But the terminology of wet vs. dry drowning is irrelevant. Drowning is defined more by the lack of oxygen to the brain than the amount of water in the lungs.

But don’t pay too much attention to the term because medical professionals agree it’s not real. A pediatric ER doctor, who goes by the name @Beachgem10 on TikTok, titled the video, “Dry Drowning is a MYTH (But drowning is real.)"

She begins, “Dry drowning is not real. It’s a myth that’s been propagated by the media since 2017.” The doctor was referencing a story in which a 4-year-old in Texas died a week after playing in knee-high water. In actuality, the boy’s death was attributed to an unrelated heart condition.

The doctor says symptoms of drowning will be clear.

She continues, “The vast majority of the time, if someone has significant submersion injury, they will aspirate water. The water will go into their lungs,” she explained. She said that when someone does come out of the water, they will show clear symptoms, including coughing, gasping, and shortness of breath.

But there are rare instances in which initial symptoms are mild but later — often six to eight hours — the symptoms will worsen.

A child who puts their face in the water briefly is unlikely to drown, she says.

She makes it clear that dry drowning does not occur from children putting their face in water briefly. “These are significant events where there is a fair amount of water inhaled.” Symptoms to watch for after these events include fast breathing, retractions, blue lips, vomiting, and confusion.

In other words, you’re not likely to miss these symptoms in your child and don’t have to take extreme measures, like keeping your children away from all types of water this summer.

But drowning is still a real threat.

Instead, take precautions to make sure your children are safe around water. Water safety tips, according to KidNurse, include:

• Always supervise children around water.
• Make sure toddlers are within arm’s reach.
• Teach children how to swim and offer a refresher at the beginning of each summer.
• Learn CPR and ask that adults in charge of children know it.
• Use life jackets instead of arm floaties, which can easily be removed.

Medical professionals believe that instead of focusing on dry drowning, it's better to focus on the real threat of actual drowning.